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Saturday, 31 December 2016

In the interest of balance, VFC has invited Lord Reginald Hamilton Rawley Tooting-Jones III, (Jersey Conservative Party Chairman)
to deliver a special New Year's address.

As Party Chairman, he explains how it has actually been an excellent year for the Jersey government. Despite a year filled with dozens of examples of incompetence, broken promises, U-turns, flip-flopping, giving the public's money to amateur con-men and giving away public land for the benefit of rich financiers, all against the public's wishes, not one of them has had to resign, let alone apologise. Like all good Jersey Tories, they remain arrogant and unaccountable, even in the face of numerous failures which would have seen governments elsewhere fall.

So, Lord Reg's message to you all is, don't worry your little heads about politics. Keep watching Strictly, X-Factor and the soaps. It could be worse: you could live in Albert Square.

2017 should see the publication of the long awaited report from the Jersey Child Abuse Committee of Inquiry. A possible vote of censure tabled against at least one sitting States Member as a result of the report. VFC has a number of Blogs lined up for the beginning of 2017 including an announcement from prominent local lawyer and constitutional expert Philip Sinel and much more.Team Voice would like to wish all our readers, old and new, a very Merry Christmas and thank you for your support and contributions to the Blogs/comment sections through the year(s). We will wish you a Happy New Year when we publish our "All Time Top Ten" most hit VFC Blog Postings. Stay tuned.....................

The Pint and Politics is a new (and welcome) concept where ordinary Islanders are invited to discuss political topics/events in a sociable/relaxing atmosphere while enjoying a pint, or your drink of choice, and listen to some live music. Reform Jersey use this opportunity to hear grass root opinions from those who matter (the ordinary Islander) in order to help formulate its policies and submit questions in parliament in an attempt to hold the Executive to account. So it's not just an evening of listening to people sound off about politics, it's an opportunity to help shape the direction the Island is going in and having your voice heard.

This week's topic is "The Donald Trump Effect" and how should progressives respond? (to his election)

Donald Trump.

Donald Trump is nothing if not controversial and has shook up the political world. He defied all the so-called "experts," pollsters and VFC argues he defied the Mainstream media. As discussed, in the interview below, it was near on impossible to view a mainstream news programme, during the election campaign, where Donald Trump wasn't being discredited or ridiculed. Some will argue this is simply because he gave them so much material it was impossible NOT to report it. Perhaps a fair enough argument but we argue that if the ordinary voter ONLY had mainstream television news to watch there wouldn't have been a hope in hell Donald Trump would have got elected.

This might demonstrate the decline in trust of mainstream media and a growth in the power of Citizens/Social Media where us unwashed plebs are now able to do our own research, make a more informed decision, and not be influenced by large corporations with vested interests? It could also be an overriding factor in why governments across the western world are legislating against people speaking their mind, or having an opinion, on the internet. Not least here in JERSEY.

Another point for discussion, in the interview below, (and for the Pint and Politics Night)? Donald Trump was elected despite never holding ANY political office previously against a woman (Hilary Clinton) who had devoted her entire adult life to politics. He didn't look or sound like a seasoned politician and perhaps this too played a major part in his election? People across the globe seem to be getting sick of the established order, the establishment as a whole, and possibly even politicians.

Is it time our politicians stopped acting and sounding like politicians? Is this the key to getting elected?

Adama Barrow.

Notwithstanding the election of Donald Trump, who is now one of the most powerful men in the world despite having NO political experience we see the same/similar pattern occurring in Gambia.

Gambian President-elect Adama Barrow is an Estate Agent and former security guard at an Argos store in the UK. He is only the third Gambian president to be elected since 1965 after over-throwing a president described as a "despot dictator" or Gambian's version of "The Establishment."

What lessons can be learnt in local politics from "The Trump Effect" and indeed the massive anti establishment movement sweeping across the western world? Did Trump win the election or did the establishment, and its media, lose it? Are the days of the Jersey Establishment coming to an end? Who/what will replace it if it does come to an end? Will it be better or worse than what we have now? Is the Jersey Establishment taking note of what's happening politically across the world and going to start changing its ways?

Why not pop down to the Green Rooster in Minden Place this Friday (9th) at 8:pm and share your thoughts with a political party who want to hear, and act on them?

Sunday, 4 December 2016

The States of Jersey (the Island's Parliament) has recently begun streaming its public sessions online which attracts somewhere in the region of around 300-400 viewers. This is a most welcome move towards openness and transparency which the States should be congratulated for but will it have the (unintentional) effect of placing more power in the hands of the silent majority and political dissenters, Bloggers, Tweeters, Facebookers and less power in the hands of the mainstream media?

In May this year we published a Blog Posting alerting readers to the latest attempt to shut down political dissent and to keep the power in the hands of the rich and powerful with its somewhat tame mainstream media. Could it be that the ruling elite became aware it might have created its own monster by opening up the island's parliament in this way?

Chairman of Jersey's only political party (Reform Jersey) Deputy Sam Mezec is a young, modern, forward thinking twenty-first century progressive politician who understands the potential power of Citizens Media and how to take advantage of it. He recently uploaded a short clip, to Facebook, of a speech he gave in the States which subsequently went viral. Receiving in excess of 90,000 views, more than 2,000 "likes" over 1,500 shares and 400 comments. For a Jersey politician this is unprecedented yet none of our local mainstream media has reported on it. The only mainstream media to have reported on this is from outside of Jersey in the Isle of Man which can be viewed HERE. The speech has also been uploaded to YouTube which can be viewed HERE. We will also embed it below our interview with Deputy Mezec at the bottom of this posting.

Deputy Mezec had previously agreed to an interview with VFC before his video was published or went viral. We were going to (and have) discussed Reform Jersey's next "Pint and Politics" evening but couldn't NOT report on this unprecedented event and ask questions like "how can the mainstream media expect to remain relative in the age of the internet while ignoring such significant public interest/political events?" Deputy Mezec describes (interview below) the power of Citizens Media as "revolutionary for democracy" and is rendering the mainstream "redundant."

We have decided to publish our interview in two parts and will publish part two, where we discuss the recent election of Donald Trump, the part played by mainstream media and much, much, more.

In the meantime we thank Deputy Mezec, not only for the exclusive interview, but for making Jersey politics available to all and showing there is an alternative, new breed, of politician in the States who do have the interest of ordinary Islanders at heart even if the mainstream media don't want the public to know this. He is still able to get his message out there on Citizens Media possibly even to a wider audience.

A question readers, and the mainstream media, should ask themselves is; "would the MSM have shown such little interest if the likes of Philip Bailhache/Ian Gorst had published a video that went viral?" Whose interests is the MSM serving on the Island?